Wheelin', Dealin' and All Nighters.

It's 1am, do you know where your Senators are?

Ending Debate on the Senate Health Reform Bill.  As soon as the democrats got the 60 votes they needed, they voted as quickly as possible.  The vote took place at 1am this morning to avoid any delays from republicans.

The road to 60 was not an easy, nor was it a cheap one.  Lieberman's hold out cost democrats a public option and the Medicare buy-in down to age 55.  Then there was Senator Ben Nelson from Nebraska.  Nelson was the last democrat to fall in line, it only took a reported $45 million for that to happen.

Nelson had expressed his reservations for the bill,  stating that there was too big of an unfunded federal mandate for the state's in this bill.  In order to get his vote, he was promised the $45 million that it would cost his state.  He is now being criticized by both sides of the aisle.  The left is saying he was going to vote yes anyways, and was just holding out so he would be able to sell his vote.  The right is simply saying he sold his vote and did not do what was right for the American people.

Now, all of the attention moves to the House where things are already getting complicated.  The Senate is warning the House not to change their bill as they are afraid the moderates will turn against it.  However, Nancy Pelosi seems determined to pass their bill and then bring the two bills to conference committee. In hopes to get much of what has been stripped out of the Senate bill back in before congress votes on it again.  Pelosi has already said to expect a vote from the House after the New Year.